Milk

Produced from the mammary glands of a lactating mother, milk is the principal source of nutrition for all infant mammals. It’s packed full of protein, lactose (a natural sugar found in milk), calcium, and a variety of other nutrients, as well as hormones, antibodies and fats that are specific to the animal species that the milk comes from. Though processed forms of milk are often fortified with Vitamin D and other micronutrients, whole milk is a natural source of Vitamin D.

There are also varied opinions on whether there is more health benefit in drinking whole milk over processed and/or pasteurized reduced-fat or non-fat milk, and milk from organic and grass-fed dairy cows versus the more ubiquitous factory-farmed dairy cows fed on corn in the United States. Grass-fed cows’ milk tends to be higher in antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, plant-based nutrients and B-Vitamins that come from their grass-based diets.

Furthermore, while consumption of whole milk and reduced fat milks have shown mixed results in relation to type 2 diabetes incidence and obesity, fermented milks and dairy products, such as kumis and certain yogurts and cheeses, have been connected to lowering diabetes risk.

The truth about how good an idea it is to drink animal milk likely lies somewhere in between all of these differing opinions and research findings, and depends also on the circumstances of each individual, as people tend to process and synthesize milk within their bodies in different ways.

Knowledge is power, and action taken from that knowledge produces results. We invite you to explore our site and arm yourself with the important knowledge and support you need to prevent diabetes, manage the disease, and better understand the connection diabetes has to the health of our planet.